Deputy Head of Office (Grade A1/A2)

Vacancy Notice N° e51/2011
Deputy Head of Office (Grade A1/A2)
Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs

Duty stations: Belgrade, Baku, Chisinau, Kyiv, Pristina, Tirana or Yerevan
Closing Date: 23 March 2011
Location

Minimum Educational Requirements
Higher Education
Required Nationality
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Azerbaidjan, Montenegro

Job Mission

Duty stations: Belgrade, Baku, Chisinau, Kyiv, Pristina, Tirana or Yerevan[1]

Notice is hereby given of the above vacancy which will be filled by competition based on qualifications open to nationals of Council of Europe member states.

Job mission

Under the authority of the Head of Office and the Director of Political Advice and Co-operation, the incumbent will provide leadership to, and ensure efficient management of, a Council of Europe Office, in compliance with the Council of Europe's values and procedures.

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[1] Applicants should indicate for which office or offices they apply.

Key Activities

The incumbent performs all or a combination of the following duties:

- seconds/replaces both in terms of action and policy the Head of Council of Europe Office in his/her absence;

- in close co-operation with the Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs/Directorate of Political Advice and Co-operation and relevant operational Directorate Generals, facilitates the identification of needs relevant to the country, including development of proposals, leading to targeted and timely co-operation activities of the Organisation;

- maintains working relationships with relevant operational partners in the country, notably international organisations, diplomatic personnel, local authorities and civil society;

- provides advice and support in planning, negotiation and implementation of Council of Europe’s activities and Joint Programmes with the European Union and other donors;

- whenever required by the relevant operational Directorate General, leads the implementation of Joint Programmes with the European Union;

- in close co-operation with the Division of General Services and External Presence within the Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs, assists the Head of Office in administrative, logistical, budgetary and human resources aspects of the day-to-day running of the Office and, to this end, supervises the work of the core team of the Office.

Competencies

Essential competencies

§ Vision on international affairs: awareness of the international political, economic, social and cultural context; organisational awareness.

§ Managerial skills: leadership, management of teams, projects, processes and resources; coaching of others, influence and authority, enterprise.

§ Professional and technical competencies:

- university degree equivalent to a masters degree (2^nd cycle of the Bologna process framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area);

- professional expertise: solid experience in management of projects/programmes in the areas of competence of the Council of Europe.

§ Communication and linguistic skills: full command of English in oral and written communication.

Other competencies

§ Professional and technical competencies:

- council of Europe experience and good knowledge of the Council of Europe's co-operation and assistance programmes would be an advantage.

- ICT skills: can use current ICT tools;

- analytical thinking, problem-solving and judgment skills.

§ Interpersonal skills: relationship-building and networking; advising; diplomacy.

§ Communication and linguistic skills: knowledge of French and other languages (in particular the languages of the duty station) would be a distinct advantage.

§ Personal attitudes: initiative and responsibility; result orientation and sense of continuous improvement; concern for quality and efficiency; adaptability; self-management and development; organisational alignment.

§ Personal values: integrity; loyalty and conscience; discretion; independence and confidence; respect for diversity.

Language Requirements

Full command of English in oral and written communication, knowledge of French and other languages (in particular the languages of the duty station) would be a distinct advantage.

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Additional Information

The Organisation

The Council of Europe is a political organisation founded in 1949 in order to promote greater unity between its members. It now numbers 47 member States. The Organisation’s main aims are to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and to develop common responses to political, social, cultural and legal challenges in its member States. Since 1989 it has integrated most of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and supported them in their efforts to implement and consolidate their reforms. The Council of Europe has its permanent headquarters in Strasbourg (France). By Statute, it has two constituent organs: the Committee of Ministers, composed of the member States’ Ministers for Foreign Affairs, and the Parliamentary Assembly, comprising delegations from the national parliaments. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe represents the entities of local and regional self-government within the member States. The European Court of Human Rights is the judicial body competent to adjudicate complaints brought against a state by individuals, associations or other contracting states on grounds of violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Applications

Applications must be made in English or French using the Council of Europe on-line application system. By connecting to our website http://www.coe-recruitment.com you can create and submit your on-line application. Applications must be submitted by 23 March 2011 (midnight Central European Time) at the latest.

Additional Information

The recruitment procedure consists of the following stages: preliminary selection, if necessary job-related tests, and an interview (external recruitment procedure organised in accordance with Article 16 of the Regulations on Appointments).

Depending on the number of applicants, the length of the required professional experience may be increased.

The successful candidate will be appointed on an initial fixed term contract, at grade A1 or A2, depending on the professional experience of the candidate. The first year of employment will constitute a probationary period. Provided the staff members’ work is considered satisfactory, he/she may be offered contracts of fixed term duration. However, the total length of employment will not exceed five years. The staff member so recruited shall not be eligible for any subsequent internal competition, promotion or transfer to a post, nor for secondment. The compulsory retirement age is 65.

For the moment, this position is limited until 31 December 2013, and may be prolonged.

Following this competition, a list of eligible candidates, in order of merit, for posts or positions with identical duties and qualification requirements may be established. It will be notified to the applicants concerned. This list will be valid for two years with the possibility of extending it to a maximum of four years. During the period of validity of the list, candidates on the list may be offered employment of fixed term duration, should an identical permanent post or a fixed-term position become vacant. It should be noted that placement on this list does not give candidates the right to an appointment within the Council of Europe.

Details on conditions of employment including salaries, allowances, pension scheme and social insurance can be consulted on our recruitment website.

Under its equal opportunities policy, the Council of Europe is aiming to achieve parity in the number of women and men employed in each category and grade. In the event of equal merit, preference will therefore be given to the applicant belonging to the under-represented sex (at the time of the Appointments Board making its recommendation).

The Council of Europe welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief or sexual orientation.

During the different stages of the recruitment procedure, specific measures may be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities.